06/04/2023
Venezuela celebrates that the ICJ recognizes that it can review British fraud in the Award of 1899 and validates the validity of the Geneva Agreement in the controversy over the Esequibo.
The Bolivarian Government, through Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, celebrated this Thursday that the incidental sentence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of this day validates the arguments presented by the Venezuelan State on November 17, 2022, and recognizes that it can review the illegal and fraudulent conduct of the United Kingdom in the Paris Arbitration Award of 1899 and, in addition, make clear the existence and validity of the Geneva Agreement of 1966.
Accompanied by the Sector Vice President for Political Sovereignty, Security, and Peace, and Minister of People's Power for Defense, Chief General Vladimir Padrino López, and Foreign Minister Yván Gil, Vice President Rodríguez recalled that Venezuela submitted to the ICJ, subject to the recognition of its jurisdiction, preliminary objections because it was not a fundamental party in the trial, which was unilaterally requested by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, as is the United Kingdom of Great Britain, a country that consummated the fraud in the 1899 Arbitration Award that stripped the Essequibo territory to Venezuela at that time.
She pointed out that in the ruling issued this Thursday on the preliminary objections, paragraph 107, it refers that "even if the Court in its judgment on the merits had to rule on certain behaviors attributable to the United Kingdom, this will not prevent the Court from exercising its competence precisely to review the illegal, fraudulent conduct of the United Kingdom, which is what Venezuela has been pointing out. The ICJ says that this illegal and fraudulent conduct, and its consequences, can be reviewed.
“Venezuela is the only historical heir to the territory of Guayana Esequiba. The United Kingdom never had title to that territory, much less could it have inherited it from the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, which gained its independence in 1966. Venezuela was born as a Republic with the territory of Guayana Esequiba”, stated the Vice President.
He also denounced that 13 companies are illegally exploiting the territory in a claim for concessions granted by Guyana, which it does to enrich the large oil transnationals, which are the ones that have financed their lawyers in the case before the ICJ.
On behalf of the Government of Venezuela, Rodríguez reiterated to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana that it has the obligation to abide by the 1966 Geneva Agreement for the resolution of the border disagreement, "there is no other way, it is the only valid, current mechanism, duly deposited with the United Nations for the resolution of this territorial dispute."
“Venezuela will continue to defend the territory in all areas. In the next few days, President Nicolás Maduro is going to address the country and will consult all sectors of the Homeland on the implications of this incidental sentence," She announced.